Mr. Trump: Iran shot down an Apache helicopter, the US must respond

“I was just informed by our great military that last night, Iran shot down one of America’s state-of-the-art Apache helicopters on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz,” President Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social on June 9.

The US leader said the two pilots on the helicopter were safe and uninjured. However, he emphasized that “the US is necessary and forced to respond to this attack.”

Two US officials revealed to CNN that the army helicopter was shot down off the coast of Oman by an Iranian drone (UAV). Another source with knowledge of the matter identified the weapon used by Iran as the Shahed suicide UAV model.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said two crew members were rescued within about two hours after the accident. The rescue operation was carried out by the Central Naval Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from units of the US Navy and Air Force.

A US official revealed that the two pilots were rescued by a naval unmanned surface ship, a vehicle similar in design to a speedboat and possibly on the payroll of Task Force 59 of the 5th Fleet.

This is the first time Washington has officially blamed Tehran for the crash of an Apache helicopter near the coast of Oman on June 9. This incident also marked the first time the US lost an Apache helicopter in a conflict with Iran.

Mr. Trump’s statement increases doubts about the prospects of maintaining the fragile ceasefire announced on April 8. A day earlier, Israel and Iran said they had temporarily stopped attacks on each other at the call of the US President, but Tehran warned that it would resume military action if Israel continued to attack Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the force that plays a key role in helping Iran control activities in the Strait of Hormuz, has not commented on the US helicopter crash. Just a few minutes before Mr. Trump’s article, Iranian Parliament Chairman Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a tough warning to Washington.

“We prioritize diplomatic language, but are even better at other languages. If the opponent breaks our commitment, we will switch to what we are best at,” Mr. Ghalibaf wrote on social network X, implying readiness to use force.

The Apache squadron has recently been operating increasingly close to Iranian territory, including islands controlled by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. This helicopter model was also used by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to intercept Iranian drones.

The US military lost at least 40 aircraft of all types during the 6-week conflict with Iran, including important aircraft such as the “magic eye” E-3G Sentry and the F-15E multi-role fighter series.

As of early 2025, the US Army owns a total of 750 Apache helicopters, including 160 AH-64D and 590 advanced AH-64E aircraft.

Each AH-64D helicopter costs 31-35 million USD, while the AH-64E usually has a factory cost of 35 million USD. If including the cost of components, technical support, weapons and operational training, each AH-64D/E helicopter will cost up to 50-65 million USD.